Balatro
Build scoring combinations from poker hands and rule-changing Jokers, then earn enough chips to clear successive blinds. Balatro turns each card choice into part of a deckbuilding plan that must also withstand Boss Blind restrictions.
- AI score · out of 10
- 9.2 / 10
About this game
Balatro uses poker hands as the starting point for a roguelike deckbuilder. Play hands to earn chips, then combine them with Jokers that change multipliers, card behavior or the money available for shopping. Clearing a blind advances the run toward the final ante, while Boss Blinds introduce restrictions that affect how you play. Your choices also extend to the deck itself. Consumable Tarot cards can modify playing cards, giving you another way to shape the combinations available. Completing achievements unlocks additional Jokers, expanding the collection of effects to explore. The recurring task is to connect the cards you play with the modifiers supporting them while meeting the next blind's requirement.
Recommended games
Related game recommendations on this platform
Nintendo Switch
AI review
AI reviews are subjective assessments, not player ratings. See each review for its evidence and limitations.Published date:
Well matched to a taste for combining card effects and adapting a developing plan.
Jokers give the poker hands a wider context, while Tarot cards let you reshape the deck supporting them. The attraction is likely to lie in making those systems work together despite the restrictions imposed by bosses.
Strengths
- Card changes and Joker effects make the deck and its modifiers part of the same planning problem.
- Unlockable Jokers give achievement-focused players further effects to investigate.
Weaknesses
- Boss restrictions may frustrate players who want to rely on one preferred combination throughout.
Who it is for: Players interested in deck construction, scoring interactions and adapting to rule changes.
View scoring basis
| Dimension | Review state | Score | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimension The structure encourages checking whether a build can meet the next restriction, with Joker unlocks providing a separate collection goal. | Reviewed | 9.2 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Combining Jokers with altered playing cards can make a workable interaction more satisfying than a strong hand on its own. | Reviewed | 9.4 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Pixel art gives the card game a stylized visual identity that may appeal to fans of that aesthetic. | Reviewed | 8.9 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Touch-screen support in the Switch edition gives players a screen-based input option without implying any measured responsiveness advantage. | Reviewed | 9.1 / 10 | Not provided |
Review sources
Not provided
Core information
- Developer
- LocalThunk
- Publisher
- Playstack
- Release date
- Feb 20, 2024
- Platforms
- Nintendo Switch
- Content kind
- Game
- Release state
- Released
- Region
- Worldwide
- Official website
- Not provided
- Offline minimum players
- Not provided
- Offline maximum players
- Not provided
- Online minimum players
- Not provided
- Online maximum players
- Not provided
- Categories
- Card & Tabletop · Primary genre
- Tags
- Card PlayTurn-based TacticsReplayable2D GraphicsDeckbuildingSolo-friendlyLong-term ProgressionTop-downCollection-richSlow BurnResource Management
- Supported game languages
- Not provided
- Requires base game
- Not provided
- Standalone
- Not provided
- Age ratings
- Not provided
- Play modes
- Single player
- Perspectives
- Top-down
Release editions
- Windows PCWorldwideFeb 20, 2024
- PlayStation 5WorldwideFeb 20, 2024
- Nintendo SwitchWorldwideFeb 20, 2024
- Nintendo Switch 2WorldwideFeb 25, 2026
Game gallery
Sources
- www.nintendo.comSource revision: 1
- www.nintendo.com